Vernal Equinox
by Minuit Chanson17
Summary: Alnel. When Nel leaves Albel with Claire to speak with Tynave and Farleen in a meeting room in Arias, Claire cleverly uncovers the truth about Albel's true view of Nel; leaving the Wicked to slowly discover his own self-denial in a very angry way...


Yup, another Alnel one shot.

Yet another couple that I absolutely like. They're on opposite sides, yet they're both surprisingly similar and close in many things; kind of ironic, actually.

Anyhow, I do not own Star Ocean: Til the End of Time.

**SO3**SO3**SO3**SO3**SO3**SO3**SO3**SO3**SO3**SO3**SO3**SO3**SO3**SO3**SO3**SO3**SO3**SO3**SO3**

I hate this town.

Honestly, if there weren't so many happy little working maggots running around the town would have been better in shambles. Pathetic little beings, rebuilding what was lost. What was even more pathetic was the fact that the very country that tore this town up was helping rebuild it.

Pitiful.

Why was I here in this wormed up town to begin with? If the Aquionion woman hadn't stopped here I would have been well near my country by now. But no, since the two countries combined, I get orders to be escorted, _escorted_, back to my country by another citizen of my country's ally. Damn Zelpher, always taking her sweet time. Isn't it supposed to be my way? Going back to Airyglyph was first priority, not stopping at this maggot hole.

She insisted on stopping here to speak to the Lasbard worm about some upcoming operation. Well. She could've done that on her way back. But did I say anything? No. Why? I don't know why the hell I didn't. I gave in to those damned emerald eyes of hers. I don't even know why I submitted to her every command ever since our little journey back to Airglyph began. It has to be the old man up to something again, messing with my mind.

I sighed and followed the Aquionion woman inside the small mansion and into the meeting room to see her three other little maggot friends. Huh. They were quite a colorful bunch now, weren't they? All with their different hair colors. I will never understand their pitiful country.

Oh, great. She's turned to me, to bark more orders from me.

"Nox, you stay here with Clair while I speak to Tynave and Farleen about an upcoming situation."

"Hmph. I could care less what you do. I could have been well on my way if it weren't for you taking so many damned, useless stops."

Huh. Now she's glaring at me. I wonder who gets the real right to do that.

"This is important, Albel."

"Oh, I'm sure that the Queen's duty isn't then, hm?"

"It will only take a short while. We would have been done by now if it weren't for your useless babbling with me."

"Bah…do what you want." What the hell was wrong with me, not answering back?

I don't know if my words had anything to do with her because she just stood there, staring at me again. I was about to say what a fool she was for wasting time standing there, but she soon moved again and out of the meeting room.

What I didn't realize was the fact that I was holding in my breath for most of the conversation. I let out a small cough. This was surely a waste of time…

"So how have you been, Albel?"

Oh of all the…now this worm was on to me. What was I supposed to say? Great? Fine? Wonderful? Extraordinary? Hell with that, those were completely lies. Besides, can't she see how I was, anyway?

She took my silence as a response and continued on. She kept talking and talking. Honestly these Aquionion people are little maggots and tag alongs with Airyglyph. They were weak and inconsiderable and not needed at all. Not that I really did care about them in the first place, but I needed some fun. Some entertainment. And without another country to battle, my brigade and skills have just gone to waste.

I suddenly lost my train of thought when I heard her annoying voice say, "…nox?"

My head looked up to face her and all she did was give a small laugh. "I said, what are you planning to do for Vernal Equinox?"

Pointless. This was leading nowhere.

But she continued on. "Vernal Equinox is the first day of Spring and the ending of the harsh Winter. Doesn't Airyglyph do something to celebrate the upcoming warmer days, since Airyglyph is always covered around with snow? In the very least, your city can get some days warmer than during the winter."

"That's a pointless holiday, fool. We're a brigade force – what makes you think we'd celebrate something like that?"

But then she laughed again. Geez. Doesn't this woman get tired of laughing?

"Well, ok, then I'd understand that. But what are you doing for Vernal Equinox?"

"I just said – "

"Oh, I know what you just said. But I just want to make sure that what you're doing for Vernal Equinox is correct."

What the hell? My temper was at a shorter fuse today because of this useless stop and this worm wasn't making it any better.

"You speak nonsense, woman."

"Hm, do I really? Because if I recall, you've already celebrated the equinox. Or, you're in the midst of it right now."

I shifted slightly on the wall I was leaning on. I hate this place, I hate the alliance, I hate whatever the damned equinox has to do with me…

She seemed to take my silence as a statement of confusion. Geez lady. Just shut up already.

"Spring melts away the bitter cold and snow temperatures of the winter, right? Well, what about you, Albel? Something seems to have done the same effect on you."

"Would you just get to the point, woman? Your nonsense is just making me itch to cut off your mouth from spewing any more."

"What I'm saying is, you've gotten softer since the last I've seen you. It seems that something has melted the coldness from the outside of you."

Hell no. She was clearly speaking nonsense now.

"I'm still the same person; for my sake, I'm still Albel the Wicked; you clearly have no intelligence in anything. My matters are none of your concern."

"Oh? But it does since your matters concern my own country as well."

"Just shut the hell up, worm."

"As expected, you are in denial. Very well then, since you don't seem to know, I'll state it out loud and clear for you as a brigade leader to understand."

She paced around the large dining room table and watched the weather outside as she did so. Where was she headed in this?

She finally turned to me at a half-table's distance away from me.

"Nel Zelpher."

I growled at the mere mention of her name. Not only that, but I flinched upon hearing it. No, I'm still Albel the Wicked, and that's for sure.

"What about her?"

"Her? You usually call everyone 'worm' or 'maggot' if I may recall."

Dammit. Why did my mouth slip out a proper word?

"Just get to the point. Stop rounding about this subject."

"Hm. Very well then."

She then continued to pace around the room. It's not a wonder as to why this Aquonion people are so damned skinny, all this walking and talking. They seem to just love avoiding the subjects especially with Zelpher giving a fine example, stopping here in this damned town and avoiding her true duty to go back to Airyglyph.

Zelpher. Dammit, I just said it without thinking. She has to be given an insulting nickname…

Wait, 'she'? I meant, 'The worm'.

I lowered my eyes at my own stupidity and growled inwardly.

Only to have the maggot commander look at me at the very second I did so.

Damn the worm.

And the worm's repetitious laughter.

At me.

"…What the hell do you want? Does it take you that long to come with an answer, fool?"

That girl smiled –ugh- and seemed to assumed that she won.

"Oh no, I don't take this long to answer. Because it seems that you've already found out yourself, Nox." She (finally) reached the other end of the long table and crossed her arms, looking at me. "Please. It would do us all a favor if you would stop being in denial. You're human too, you know."

Now this woman was pissing me off.

"Oh come now, how can you not see it? I won't say it aloud. I can keep it secret for you, but it's not like Tynave and Farleen haven't seen it already, either. Human emotions are easy to read, especially for girls such as ourselves."

She did not just say 'human emotions'.

I clenched my iron claw and glared at her with the best of my ability through my two toned bangs. "…I didn't say that I loved her, maggot."

Why the hell did I just say that? I didn't, no, I didn't, not that…that Aquonion worm, with the emerald eyes, with unusually well fighting skills, with the duty to fight…

_Ugh._ I detest myself for thinking of such thoughts.

I'm Albel the Wicked. The_ Wicked,_ dammit.

And stop smiling, you stupid worm. She keeps on _smiling_ at me as if she were right.

She laughs. "I didn't say that either, Nox. What made you think I would say that? I could have been speaking of another topic – I wonder why you think of such a thing?"

I know she thinks she won. She just kept smiling, and for some reason, I found myself not uttering an answer or retort back.

Why?

Was she right? No. I was right. I was always right. I'm me.

I was about to say just this, when the door opened to reveal that…that woman.

She looked at me with the same emotionless face, her scarf covering her mouth and revealing those bright eyes in its same fashion. I found myself backing down from answering back the other woman, and bit my tongue in the process. Which proceeded to bleed, of course. Damn, how hard did I bite my tongue when I saw her presence?

She looked at me with the same emotionless face, and seemed to be saying something.

Wait, I should probably listen, huh?

What a pain.

"Nox, did you understand what I just said?"

Her voice pierced my thoughts and I concentrated my eyes to meet hers. "…What?"

She sighed, obviously frustrated with me. Hmph, she has small patience.

"I said we're leaving, and to thank Claire for allowing you stay here while I was with the Tynave and Farleen."

I scoffed. "Why the hell should I thank her?"

She glared at me, and I smirked. Heh, victory always tastes so sweet.

However, victory is also short-lived. That stupid Lasbard fool spoke up and ruined my chances to escape without so much of a word out of that talkative mouth of hers.

"Oh no, it's fine, Nel. I should be the one thanking him."

What's with these Aquionion people always smiling? For all I know, they could be smiling even if they were being burned by one of Airyglyph's dragons.

I glared back at her, and she still had that same face on. I noticed that Zelpher looked at me questionably, and I found myself escaping in a much faster fashion than I had meant to.

What the hell was wrong with me?

That woman chuckled at me as I left. "He cleared up some things that I've been wondering for awhile. He's been a great help, really."

I walked out, and yet that fool _still_ has the decency to call out to me as I exited.

"Goodbye Albel. Thank you! Oh, and you're welcome!"

I walked out at a fast pace and out of the stupid meeting house. I finally began to slow my pace down as I reached the stone gate entrance of the meeting house, and even as I felt her presence near me, I decided to not speak a word.

I suddenly felt a familiar cold chill past through the stupid village, from the direction of Airyglyph and towards that maggot kingdom we formed an alliance with. Does the cold air really travel that far into the stupid warmth? I also noticed the movement of the birds overhead; why the hell I did, I don't even know.

Stupid Vernal Equinox or whatever the hell it was called. Why do seasons change anyway?

I noticed that she suddenly looked at me, and when I didn't say anything, she shrugged and walked on.

Hmph, she didn't have to bring me back. So stupid…but then I found myself looking straight at her, even as she walked. Her style, her hair, her sense of pride…

DAMMIT.

Stupid Vernal Equinox and the melting of the cold weather into warm weather.

The fool was not right, the fool was not right…

Even as I thought all this, her voice still penetrated through my thoughts.

"Care to tell me what you had said to Claire in the meeting room?"

I looked down at her eyes again, as she could probably see my ruby ones. I shook my head and looked off to the side, avoiding her gaze as best I could.

"Bah…nothing of importance."

She stared at me for another few seconds and sighed before walking on ahead of me. She didn't look back at me, not once.

It was nothing…nothing at all. At least, nothing of importance to you, Zelpher…

**SO3**SO3**SO3**SO3**SO3**SO3**SO3**SO3**SO3**SO3**SO3**SO3**SO3**SO3**SO3**SO3**SO3**SO3**SO3**

Done with yet another Alnel one shot.

Yet again, the ending kind of faded on me, but I do hope it kind of tied in with the rest of the story. Very enjoyable writing this piece; Albel having emotions is quite rare indeed.

Honestly, I thought there were some hints of Albel showing some liking to Nel in the game, right? She is the only person he doesn't call 'worm' or 'maggot' but by her last name instead…

Anyway, thanks for reading, and reviewing if you do!


End file.
